From: mooregr@deletethisgreenms.com   
      
   "JF Mezei"  wrote in message news:a785J.31037$oY4.5834@fx20.iad...   
   >   
   >On 2021-09-27 13:30, Greg (Strider) Moore wrote:   
   >   
   >> Yes, the engines are the most expensive part of the 1st stage and tanks   
   >> are   
   >> cheap, but snagging them in mid-air, landing, and reattaching them to new   
   >> tanks is a HUGE operational complexity and cost.   
   >   
   >   
   >The ability for engines to be let go in flight would presume   
   >quick-disconnect plumbing so engines can cleaninly separate from stage   
   >and then fall back with parachute etc.   
   >   
   >Once equipped with quick disconnect, once would assume that attaching a   
   >new first stage/tanks on top of engines would be easy.   
   >   
   >   
   >If you have a bunhc of engines falling from the sky, doubtful they could   
   >be caught by as many helicopters as there are engines, unless the   
   >separation is staged in such a way that each drops a safe distance fro   
   >the other. It might make more sense to drop the cluster as one "pod"   
   >that can be caught.   
      
   Yes, they'd be catching a single pod.   
      
      
   --   
   Greg D. Moore                   http://greenmountainsoftware.wordpress.com/   
   CEO QuiCR: Quick, Crowdsourced Responses. http://www.quicr.net   
   IT Disaster Response -   
   https://www.amazon.com/Disaster-Response-Lessons-Learned-Field/dp/1484221834/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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